Scandium is the first element in the third column of the periodic table. It is classified as a transition metal or rare earth metal. Scandium atoms have 21 electrons and 21 protons with 2 valence electrons in the outmost shell.

Characteristics and Properties

Under standard conditions scandium is a silvery-white metal. It is fairly soft and is nearly as light as aluminum. When scandium is first exposed to the air it will tarnish to a slightly pink or yellow color.

In its pure form, scandium will react with acids. However, it won't react with oxygen and is very resistant to corrosion. It has a very high melting point, which makes it a good substitute for aluminum in high temperature applications.

Where is scandium found on Earth?

Scandium is a fairly rare element on earth being around the 50th most common element. It is generally only found in small amounts in minerals. There are only a few minerals that have a reasonable concentration of scandium including gadolinite, thortveitite, and euxenite.

Scandium is generally a byproduct of mining minerals for other elements such as fluorine and tantalum. Some scandium is also produced as a byproduct of refining uranium.

How is scandium used today?

Scandium is quite useful as a part of metal alloys. However, the cost of scandium has prevented it from becoming used in mainstream applications. Aluminum or titanium are often used instead because they are much less expensive.

Scandium is used together with aluminum to make strong durable alloys that are used in aircraft components, golf clubs, firearms, and even high end baseball bats.

Scandium is also used to make bright lights that come close to replicating sunlight. These lights are used for sporting events and movie production.

How was it discovered?

Swedish chemist Lars F. Nilson first discovered scandium when running experiments with the minerals gadolinite and euxenite in 1879. It wasn't until 1937 that the first metallic scandium was produced.

Where did scandium get its name?

Lars F. Nilson named scandium after his homeland using the Latin word "Scandia" which stood for "Scandinavia". Sweden is part of Scandinavia.

Isotopes

Scandium has a number of isotopes, but the only one that is found naturally is scandium-45.

Interesting Facts about Scandium

Scandium is difficult to isolate in its pure form. It wasn't until 1960 that the first pound of scandium was produced.

One potential application for scandium is in fuel cells.

It is more abundant in the stars where it is around the twenty-sixth most abundant element.

It is thought that the only areas with a fairly high scandium content are in Norway and Madagascar.